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This Vegan Peanut Butter Pie tastes like a chocolate peanut butter cup! There’s no baking required, so all you have to do is assemble the layers and then let it chill until firm. The hardest part is waiting to eat it!
Why You’ll Love It
This creamy peanut butter pie is:
- No-bake
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Egg-free
- and totally delicious!
It’s also a great dessert to make for a holiday gathering, because it won’t take up any oven space. Keep in mind that it will melt if you leave it out at room temperature for too long, so I recommend storing it in the freezer until about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a vegan peanut butter pie?
- Peanut butter
- Coconut oil (see tips below)
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Cacao powder
- Almond flour (for the crust)
That’s seriously all you need, for all 3 layers! The coconut oil is key for making this pie firm-up when chilled, because coconut oil is solid when cold.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want a coconut-flavored dessert, be sure to shop for “refined” coconut oil, which is also called expeller-pressed coconut oil. This type of coconut oil has ZERO coconut flavor, so your dessert will only taste like peanut butter and chocolate!
How to Make It
Before you get started, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, and not cold from the fridge. If you store your maple syrup in the fridge, it’s a good idea to measure out what you need, then let it sit out for at least an hour before getting started.
1. Make the crust. Stir together the almond flour, cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. It should stick together into a big ball when you’re done stirring it.
Line an 8-inch baking pan (or springform pan) with parchment paper, so the pie will release easily later. Press the chocolate crust into the bottom of the pan evenly, then place it in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
2. Prepare the filling. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, water, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. (I tried simply whisking this mixture together, but using a blender makes a huge difference here. It turns silky smooth!)
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, and place the pan back in the freezer. Make sure it’s sitting on a flat surface, so the pie will set evenly.
3. Make the chocolate topping. You can make this topping right away and swirl it into the peanut butter layer, or you can wait until the peanut butter layer is totally frozen, and add it as a topping.
I usually wait and add it as a topping, with a few crushed peanuts on top, but the choice is totally up to you! You can see an example of the swirling option here, if you’d like to give it a try.
To make the chocolate topping, make sure all 3 ingredients are NOT cold, and the coconut oil should be melted, in its liquid state. Use a whisk to stir them all together, until the chocolate looks smooth and silky.
4. Decorate. Drizzle the chocolate topping over the top, then add a few crushed peanuts on top, if you’d like. (I add them to help cover up my mediocre decorating skills, but they also add a nice crunch.)
Slice and serve chilled, for the best texture.
Store this vegan peanut butter pie in the freezer for the most firm texture, and keep it tightly covered to preserve the flavor. It will keep well for up to 3 months frozen in an airtight container.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Can I omit the coconut oil? The coconut oil is important for the texture of this pie. It won’t firm up without some sort of fat that is solid when chilled. You could most likely use a vegan butter as a swap, or real butter if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
If you’re trying to avoid a coconut flavor, use refined or expeller pressed coconut oil, which will add no coconut taste to the final pie.
Can I use a different nut butter? Of course! Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter should work well in its place. Just keep in mind that the flavor will change, depending on which nut or seed butter that you use.
Can I make a full pie crust? Sure! If you don’t want a pie crust that is only on the bottom, you could try adding cocoa powder and a little extra sweetener to my oat flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust recipes.
Adding a full crust will make this pie more calorie-rich, so I don’t think it’s necessary, but I love to hear how you experiment with it.
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
Peanut Butter Pie Filling
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Chocolate Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- chopped nuts , for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Spray an 8-inch pan lightly with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper inside. (Alternatively, you can grease a springform pan.) To prepare the crust, combine the almond flour, cocao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt, and stir well, until it sticks together.
- Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, then place it in the freezer to firm up as you prepare the filling.
- To prepare the Peanut Butter Pie filling, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, water, and salt to a blender, and blend until very smooth. Alternatively, you can use an electric hand mixer to beat this well. (Mixing by hand, even with a whisk, will not give you the same results.)
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the peanut butter filling on top of the chocolate crust. Return the pan to the freezer, making sure it's sitting on a flat surface, so the pie will set evenly.
- When the peanut butter filling has set, which can take roughly 3 to 4 hours, prepare the chocolate topping. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, cocao powder, and maple syrup, and whisk well until it's very smooth, with a drippy consistency.
- Once the peanut butter filling is firm to the touch, use the parchment paper to remove the peanut butter pie from the pan. Drizzle the chocolate topping over the top, and watch it harden quickly as it rests on the frozen pie. Slice and serve right away, with a few chopped peanuts on top, if you like.
- This peanut butter pie will store well in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Serve chilled for the best texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Peanut Butter Pie, please leave a star rating and comment below letting me know how you like it!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite holiday dessert?
This is a family favor when I find the GF graham cracker pre made crusts! So simple and easy, always have the ingredients in n the cupboard!